- tobacco, coffee are luxury items, and for some reason, they become more valuable in crisis, since having a cup of cofee and a smoke amidst total chaos gives some psychological rest that not everything is upside down. Even if you don't smoke, it's a good currency. During the bosnian-croat conflict in Mostar, 93-95, croats had plenty of tobacco, since they weren't cut off. Bosnian side grew marijuana, since there was no "laws and police". They would take mortar rounds, empty them, stuff them with marijuana and fire it across the front line. The other side would fire mortar rounds with tobacco. They would have a smoke, and resume shooting at each other. True story.

guns and ammo, but:
- you need to build up local community, with armed watches, proper order and common law (republic or something, democracy doesn't work well, due to people not being rational during distress).
- you need to tie networks between local communities, for mutual cooperation and protection

Building a shelter with lots of supplies and one gun is not gonna work in the long run, because the main danger will be single men age 16-50 with guns, who band up and go raiding, pillaging, raping, etc. For douchebags, ganging up and getting some guns is way to food and goods with least amount of effort, so rest of the population (think families) have to band together. Once you have local community going on, with some local militia, with enough brains and land to take care of housing, food and health, you can thrive.

Having practical skills is great, being a stock broker I guess will be like a death sentence.

I'd say booze and cigarettes would outlast gold, as gold really doesn't have as much intrinsic value to the average joe as just about any consumable.

Seriously?

Yes, seriously. When you are on the verge of starvation gold isn't really all that comforting, especially if the only people you can barter or trade with are in roughly the same condition you are in._________________

Guns too would eventually lose their value as ammunition became scarce. But the ability to reload would hold good value, again while the supplies for that task were still available.

What, you don't include black powder in your arsenal for when ammo becomes scarce? Claymore-type devices could similarly be made "easily." I think your main problem is having to cushy a life style :P_________________lolgov. 'cause where we're going, you don't have civil liberties.

Polypropylene is a good alternative to wool. Cotton underwear and socks just add to hygiene problems and start to rot off your body or fall apart.

I'd probably add "portable, reusable water purification apparatus" and "water purification tablets" to the list. Water can be boiled (thoroughly), but sometimes you don't have that luxury.

Also good to have: a couple of bales (bale = a thousand) of empty sandbags. They are cheap, light, last in storage forever, and are of enormous value in many emergencies (especially the kind where people are shooting at you).

Most important tools of all: dirt shovels and axes. For one's survival kit, an collapsable military "entrenching tool" serves both purposes._________________History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives. -- Abba Eban

Polypropylene is a good alternative to wool. Cotton underwear and socks just add to hygiene problems and start to rot off your body or fall apart.

I'd probably add "portable, reusable water purification apparatus" and "water purification tablets" to the list. Water can be boiled (thoroughly), but sometimes you don't have that luxury.

Also good to have: a couple of bales (bale = a thousand) of empty sandbags. They are cheap, light, last in storage forever, and are of enormous value in many emergencies (especially the kind where people are shooting at you).

Most important tools of all: dirt shovels and axes. For one's survival kit, an collapsable military "entrenching tool" serves both purposes.